Lawn mower



Dec. 15, 1931. c. A; GRATIOT 1,836,164

LAWN MOWER Filed Dec. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR;

2 (Zes ter ra tzlot- ATTORN EY Dec. 15, 1931. RA 1,836,164

LAWN MOWER Filed Dec. 15, 1927 2 Sheets, 5heet 2 INVENTOR; CA tar/4. Gra t 0'0 25..

m ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 15,1931

r SUNITE' ST T S PATE OFFIC cHEs'rERA. GRATIOT, EPOBLT AND, OREGON, AssrGNoIa; BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS,

'ro nvnnsnanr LAWNMOWEB COMPANY, A CORPORATION or NEVADA LAWN mownn Application filed December 15,1927. se'ri i b. 240,134.

to improvements in struction, suchas the 'devicesfor driving the cutting reel and for relative-adjustment of i the various parts, will-be fully apparent in The course of the detaileddescription tofol- The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example a preferred form of my invention, in which: V V

Figure 1 is a view in vertical-cross section of my improved lawn mower.

Fig. 2 is a view in side'elevation of the same with a portion thereof broken away.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the lawn mower.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in front elevation of the lawn mower with a portion broken away.

Fig. 5 is a detail view in cross section illustrating the drive mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail viewof the hanger device upon which the cutting blades are mounted and the driving mechanism therefor.

F ig. 7 is a fragmentary view in plan illustrating the clutch device on cutting reel. 7

Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are diagrammatic views similar to Fig. lshowing various positions of" the operative parts of the invention.

Referring to said views, the reference numerals -1 and 2 indicate the traction wheels of my improved lawn mower which are of the usual recessed construction having internal 7 gear teeth 3. A circular plate 5 is inserted within the recess of each wheel to which the wheels are rotatably connected on axles 6 at their common centers. The plates 5 are rigidly oonnected together by a transverse bar 7 adjacent their upper edges, andspaced to clear-the ground.

the shaft of the apertured lugs 8'are integrallyconnected to said plates towardtheir rear edges within usual manneri 1 A spindle 11 is rigidly mounted at its op posite ends in the plates 5 adjacent the rear edges thereof upon opposite ends of which tooth pinions 12 are rotatably mounted in engagement, respectively, with the gear teeth 3 upon the inner side of the plate. "Integrally' connected" to each said pinion is a sprocket'wheel 13 A hanger frame is pivotally mounted uponthefspindle 11 through bosses 15, in .eachend thereof inwardly adjacent; to .thepinion member 12." "Integral arms 16 which a handlebar 10 is connected in extend downwardly-from said bosses to support a transverse bar 17 spaced upwardly from the lower rim ofthetra'ction wheels A-ledger blade'18 is'rigidly'connected upon 76 the undersideof saidbar having a forwardly extendingcutting edge .20. .The transverse bar 17 ispivotally mounted,-'as at 21.,

in the arms 16 with which adjustmentscrews 22 are engaged at each end thereof to Vary the" inclination of the blade 18, said screw being mounted in lugs 23 apertured and internally screw threaded. 'Extending up wardly and forwardly from the lower end of each. of thearms 16 are brackets 25 'af- 80 fording bearings for the opposite ends of a tie rod 26 upon which the rotary cutter. blades 27 are rotatably mounted by means ofspiders28. I Q

Sprocket wheels 30 are rotatably mounted on the tie rod. 26 in line with the sprocket wheels 13 over which drive chains 31 are connected andengage by ratchet teeth 32 with opposing teeth upon the hubof the ad jacent'spid'er 28 providing a'clutch to drive the cutting reel in theforward movements of the machine; Said-clutch may be yieldably engaged to drive the cuttingreel in its operative direction by a spring 35 interposed be tweenthe sprocketwheel and the respective bracket 25. WVhenthe machine is actuated rearwa'rdly the clutch-parts will slip, thus preventing the actuation, of the cutting-reel in reverse directions and avoiding the use of a clutch'usually incorporated in the pinion 100 corresponding to the pinion 12 as found in other makes of machines.

An arm 36 extends upwardly from each of the brackets 25 engageable with a screw 37 threaded through a lug 38 in each of the side plates 5 whereby the hanger frame is adjusted as a unit in its relation with the ground while free to swing upwardly away from the 7 adjustable stop provided by the screws 37.

In operation when my improved lawn mower is actuated along the ground the rotation of the wheels 1 and 2 will, through the constant engagement of the pinions 12 with the gear teeth 3, actuate the sprocket wheels 13 and chain 31 to rotate the cutting reel with which the ledger blade 18 is in shearing engagement. The cutting reel and the ledger blade being mounted in the hanger frame in relatively fixed posit-ion and swinging as aunitabout the spindle 11 occasionally require adjustments, such as to determine the length of grass to be cut, which are made by manipulating the screw 37 to raise or lower the cutting edge 20 of the ledger blade relative to the ground.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and application of my improved lawn mower will be readily apparent; but, while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the structure I now consider the best embodiment thereof, it will be readily understood that the devices shown are merely illustrative and thats'uch changes may be madetherein as will lie within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim, is:

1. A lawn mower, consisting in a pair of traction wheels formed with internal gear teeth, a fixed plate upon which said wheels are journaled, respectively, a toothed pinion in mesh with the gear teeth of each said wheel, a sprocket wheel integral with each said pinion, a pair of hanger arms pivotally mounted axially with said pinions, a ledger blade adjustably mounted in said hanger arms, a pair of brackets each integral with the respective hanger arm, a cutting reel rotatably mounted in said brackets, a sprocket wheel operatively connected to said cutting feel, a chain operat-ively connecting said sprocket wheels, a stop arm extending up wardly from each said bracket, and an adjustable stop engaging the forward side of said stop arm to adjust the height of said cutter reel.

2. A lawn mower, consisting in a pair of plates in fixed spaced relation, a traction wheel rotatably mounted concentrically upon each said plate and each formed with internal gear teeth, a spindle secured at its opposite ends in said plates, a pinion and sprocket wheel integrally connected and rotatably said cutting reel, and means to maintain said mounted on said spindle, said pinion being in mesh with the gear teeth of the respective traction Wheel, a hanger frame pivotally mounted on said spindle, a cutting-reel rotative in said frame; a ledger blade adjustably 1 7k mounted in said frame in shearing engagement with said cutting-reel, a sprocket wheel operatively connected to said cutting reel, a chain connecting said sprocket wheel to drive hanger frame at adjusted positions. 7')

A lawn mower, consisting in a pair of plates in fixed spaced relation, a traction wheel rotatably mounted concentrically upon each said plate and each formed with internal gear teeth, a spindle secured at its opposite ends in said plates, a pinion and sprocket wheel integrally connected and rotatably mounted on said spindle, saidpinion being in mesh with the gear teeth of the respective traction wheel, a hanger frame pivotally mounted on said spindle, a cutting-reel rotative in said frame; a ledger blade adj ustably mounted in said frame 111 shearing engagement with said cutting-reel, a sprocket wheel operatively connected to said cutting reel, a chain coiinecting said sprocket wheel to drive said cut-tin r reel, an arm extendingrigidly from said ianger frame, and an adjustable stop for said arm limiting the movement of the frame in forward and downward directions.

CHESTER A GRATIOT, 

